Roxi
Active member
I’ve debated whether or not to write this trip report, and then debated whether or not to post it. I struggled with a lot of mixed emotions that weekend, little of which had to do with FOT48.
First and foremost, thank you to all the people who organized, led, and assisted in raising the flags on NH’s 48 tallest peaks. It involves a lot more than just hiking to the summit, and I for one appreciate each and every one of you who made the commitment to be a part of it. THANK YOU!
My ex-husband and my daughter came up that weekend. I hadn’t seen my daughter in a few weeks and it felt really good to have her here. She planned to spend some time doing her homework for college while her dad (my ex) and I went hiking. Larry’s been slowly bagging the 48 and this weekend we decided to grab both Kinsmans. I have fond memories of doing the Kinsmans last year, mostly due to hiking along Kinsman Pond. I wanted to show Larry that special place and also take him by the Basin which is so pretty and amazing in the colors and movement of the water, the way it has sculpted the rocks over time....I can get lost in water....
We left early Saturday morning fearing that there would be crowds of people jamming the parking lots in Franconia Notch. So imagine our extreme surprise when we pulled into the Basin parking lot and had our choice of every parking spot! The weather was overcast, but it was warm and very humid! We had fun exploring the beautiful Basin area (and I discovered yet another restroom!
). The water level was low enough for us to venture out onto the rocks as we made our way up the Basin-Cascade trail. It must be amazing in the spring when the water levels are higher; I will have to go back in April. The colors of the pools, the smoothness of the water-sculptured rock, I could have stayed there all day....but Kinsman Pond beckoned.
We made our way up the Cascade Brook trail. Last year I rocked-hopped down it when it was an active stream. This day, slippery, moss-covered rocks slowed our progression upward. At one point I realized that despite wearing quick-dryig material, I was SOAKED! The humidity was so high that the breeze wasn’t helping to dry anything. I was drenched! Larry, who doesn’t drink a lot of water while hiking actually expressed concern that he might run out. And yet we were surrounded by water everywhere...
Finally we came to one end of the Kinsman Pond. I love this area! It feels remote. I can picture seeing a moose or bear come to the edge of the pond to drink, even though all we saw was a mallard duck sleeping on the water. Water lilies past their prime dotted the pond. Clouds loomed over it. We would have no views today. At the other end of the pond, construction of some sort was going on. Large pressure-treated planks had been dropped and a footing was dug. Something was afoot...
We explored the tent platforms, and despite the fact that I dislike camping (did too much of it cycling across the country), I could picture myself camping here, near Kinsman Pond. It reminds me very much of hiking along Eagle Lake in Acadia and I like the feeling of solitude and inner quiet that I experience when I’m here. The area calms my restless soul. Few places achieve that.
We continued onto to the four-way intersection with the Kinsman Ridge trail and met a couple who had come from the Fishing Jimmy trail. They were wondering which way to go, so we suggested that they follow us since we were all headed in the same direction. Like giving birth, I had forgotten how much effort remained climbing up to North Kinsman. Once there, however, we were delighted to see Old Glory flying high above another flag that read “Don’t Tread on Me” (very appropriate in a state whose motto is “Live Free or Die”). Many thanks to Dan Gagnon who led his team up North Kinsman much earlier than the noon deadline. Dan was kind enough to show us how he and his team erected the flags with PVC pipe, duck tape, and rope. They did an excellent job! I wish for all our sakes the weather had cooperated and allowed us a view across the highway to Franconia Ridge so that we could have seen the flags on Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume, but it was not to be. I signed the log Dan’s team had available, and we continued on to S. Kinsman.
The hike to S. Kinsman was less work. We met a trail runner along the way who was very friendly and helpful. I wish I had gotten his name...we saw no one on the summit, turned around and made our way back to N. Kinsman, passing a man who we think might have been the FOT48 person on the way. It was just before noon....
We heard planes above us for several minutes as we made our way past N. Kinsman and back down to the trail intersection, but we could not see them. Back along Kinsman Pond, we stopped for lunch along its shore strewn with boulders. We sat on one of the large rocks and watched the wind play across the water’s surface making little ripples, while the duck still slept. I love this spot! It is so peaceful...I find the older I get, the more I seek out places like this, where my soul can relax, shut out the world, and experience that inner quietness and calm that seems so elusive. I relish the moments that I feel this....
We continued on down the Kinsman Pond Trail and decided to add a few more phrases to our how-close-the-destination-is rating scale. For those of you who remember my trek up VT’s Mts. Abraham and Ellen, we developed this hierarchy:
almost there
pretty close
soon
not too far
a little ways
a ways to go
you’re asking this question way too soon!
During our hike down the Kinsman Pond Trail we decided to add:
we should be getting there soon
why aren’t we there yet?, and
where the hell is it?
These phrases can be inserted at any point along the previous scale...
Finally we were back on the Cascade Brook Trail soon followed by the Basin-Cascade trail where my feet decided they desperately needed a soak in one of the pools of cold water. Ahhhhhhhhh...that felt so good! After which I put on my Crocs instead of my hiking boots as there was only a mile left to hike. I love taking my Crocs with me, and love water along the trail even more!
We made it back to the car, and drove home, looking forward to taking our daughter out to dinner at the Moat Mountain Brewery. One of the reasons was because we realized while hiking that SHE could be our designated driver! When we informed her of our epiphany, she responded that she was fine with that as long as we took her car. Ok! Cool! This was getting better all the time!
It was wonderful to have dinner together, and to stroll around North Conway afterwards while our daughter shopped to her heart’s content. It felt really good to feel like a family unit again. It has been about a decade since Lar and I divorced, and I am grateful that we managed to hang onto our friendship despite giving up the marriage. All three of us have benefited from that decision. Yet it also felt weird, and I struggle with mixed emotions about getting back together or not. Larry and I are very compatible in many ways, but it’s hard to risk going where we’ve failed before. History creates caution, hesitation, and doubt. So like those rare occasions when I can feel my soul relax in places of solitude and natural beauty, I try to hold onto those wonderful moments from that evening, when all three of us were together as a family, enjoying each other’s company, and having a really good time. It was a gift that I will treasure for a long time. I sincerely wish that every family affected by the events of 9/11 could have experienced the same gift...that the recent tradition of FOT48 need not have been created. If only we could know ahead of time the moments to be savored...
First and foremost, thank you to all the people who organized, led, and assisted in raising the flags on NH’s 48 tallest peaks. It involves a lot more than just hiking to the summit, and I for one appreciate each and every one of you who made the commitment to be a part of it. THANK YOU!
My ex-husband and my daughter came up that weekend. I hadn’t seen my daughter in a few weeks and it felt really good to have her here. She planned to spend some time doing her homework for college while her dad (my ex) and I went hiking. Larry’s been slowly bagging the 48 and this weekend we decided to grab both Kinsmans. I have fond memories of doing the Kinsmans last year, mostly due to hiking along Kinsman Pond. I wanted to show Larry that special place and also take him by the Basin which is so pretty and amazing in the colors and movement of the water, the way it has sculpted the rocks over time....I can get lost in water....
We left early Saturday morning fearing that there would be crowds of people jamming the parking lots in Franconia Notch. So imagine our extreme surprise when we pulled into the Basin parking lot and had our choice of every parking spot! The weather was overcast, but it was warm and very humid! We had fun exploring the beautiful Basin area (and I discovered yet another restroom!
). The water level was low enough for us to venture out onto the rocks as we made our way up the Basin-Cascade trail. It must be amazing in the spring when the water levels are higher; I will have to go back in April. The colors of the pools, the smoothness of the water-sculptured rock, I could have stayed there all day....but Kinsman Pond beckoned.We made our way up the Cascade Brook trail. Last year I rocked-hopped down it when it was an active stream. This day, slippery, moss-covered rocks slowed our progression upward. At one point I realized that despite wearing quick-dryig material, I was SOAKED! The humidity was so high that the breeze wasn’t helping to dry anything. I was drenched! Larry, who doesn’t drink a lot of water while hiking actually expressed concern that he might run out. And yet we were surrounded by water everywhere...
Finally we came to one end of the Kinsman Pond. I love this area! It feels remote. I can picture seeing a moose or bear come to the edge of the pond to drink, even though all we saw was a mallard duck sleeping on the water. Water lilies past their prime dotted the pond. Clouds loomed over it. We would have no views today. At the other end of the pond, construction of some sort was going on. Large pressure-treated planks had been dropped and a footing was dug. Something was afoot...
We explored the tent platforms, and despite the fact that I dislike camping (did too much of it cycling across the country), I could picture myself camping here, near Kinsman Pond. It reminds me very much of hiking along Eagle Lake in Acadia and I like the feeling of solitude and inner quiet that I experience when I’m here. The area calms my restless soul. Few places achieve that.
We continued onto to the four-way intersection with the Kinsman Ridge trail and met a couple who had come from the Fishing Jimmy trail. They were wondering which way to go, so we suggested that they follow us since we were all headed in the same direction. Like giving birth, I had forgotten how much effort remained climbing up to North Kinsman. Once there, however, we were delighted to see Old Glory flying high above another flag that read “Don’t Tread on Me” (very appropriate in a state whose motto is “Live Free or Die”). Many thanks to Dan Gagnon who led his team up North Kinsman much earlier than the noon deadline. Dan was kind enough to show us how he and his team erected the flags with PVC pipe, duck tape, and rope. They did an excellent job! I wish for all our sakes the weather had cooperated and allowed us a view across the highway to Franconia Ridge so that we could have seen the flags on Lafayette, Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume, but it was not to be. I signed the log Dan’s team had available, and we continued on to S. Kinsman.
The hike to S. Kinsman was less work. We met a trail runner along the way who was very friendly and helpful. I wish I had gotten his name...we saw no one on the summit, turned around and made our way back to N. Kinsman, passing a man who we think might have been the FOT48 person on the way. It was just before noon....
We heard planes above us for several minutes as we made our way past N. Kinsman and back down to the trail intersection, but we could not see them. Back along Kinsman Pond, we stopped for lunch along its shore strewn with boulders. We sat on one of the large rocks and watched the wind play across the water’s surface making little ripples, while the duck still slept. I love this spot! It is so peaceful...I find the older I get, the more I seek out places like this, where my soul can relax, shut out the world, and experience that inner quietness and calm that seems so elusive. I relish the moments that I feel this....
We continued on down the Kinsman Pond Trail and decided to add a few more phrases to our how-close-the-destination-is rating scale. For those of you who remember my trek up VT’s Mts. Abraham and Ellen, we developed this hierarchy:
almost there
pretty close
soon
not too far
a little ways
a ways to go
you’re asking this question way too soon!
During our hike down the Kinsman Pond Trail we decided to add:
we should be getting there soon
why aren’t we there yet?, and
where the hell is it?
These phrases can be inserted at any point along the previous scale...
Finally we were back on the Cascade Brook Trail soon followed by the Basin-Cascade trail where my feet decided they desperately needed a soak in one of the pools of cold water. Ahhhhhhhhh...that felt so good! After which I put on my Crocs instead of my hiking boots as there was only a mile left to hike. I love taking my Crocs with me, and love water along the trail even more!
We made it back to the car, and drove home, looking forward to taking our daughter out to dinner at the Moat Mountain Brewery. One of the reasons was because we realized while hiking that SHE could be our designated driver! When we informed her of our epiphany, she responded that she was fine with that as long as we took her car. Ok! Cool! This was getting better all the time!
It was wonderful to have dinner together, and to stroll around North Conway afterwards while our daughter shopped to her heart’s content. It felt really good to feel like a family unit again. It has been about a decade since Lar and I divorced, and I am grateful that we managed to hang onto our friendship despite giving up the marriage. All three of us have benefited from that decision. Yet it also felt weird, and I struggle with mixed emotions about getting back together or not. Larry and I are very compatible in many ways, but it’s hard to risk going where we’ve failed before. History creates caution, hesitation, and doubt. So like those rare occasions when I can feel my soul relax in places of solitude and natural beauty, I try to hold onto those wonderful moments from that evening, when all three of us were together as a family, enjoying each other’s company, and having a really good time. It was a gift that I will treasure for a long time. I sincerely wish that every family affected by the events of 9/11 could have experienced the same gift...that the recent tradition of FOT48 need not have been created. If only we could know ahead of time the moments to be savored...
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